-DATE-
19711113
-YEAR-
1971
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
ANTOFAGASTA SPEECH
-PLACE-
ANTOFAGASTA
-SOURCE-
MOSCOW TASS INTL SVC
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19711116
-TEXT-
Antofagasta Speech
Moscow TASS International Service in English 2148 GMT 13 Nov 71 L
[Text] Antofagasta November 13 TASS-TASS special correspondent Viktor Globa
reports-- A mammoth meeting has been held here. It was addressed by first
secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Prime Minister
of the Revolutionary Government of Cuba Fidel Castro, now in Chile at the
head of a Cuban government delegation.
Fidel Castro pointed to historical community of the Cuban and Chilean
peoples' struggle for their liberation from Spanish colonialists. The
struggle for independence in Chile, he pointed out, was waged under the
motto of attaining national sovereignty, under the motto of regaining the
country's national wealth, copper mine deposits above all. The Cuban people
also fought selflessly for real independence and gained it in the
victorious revolution of 1959.
Restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Chile has become an
important landmark in the life of our country, Fidel Castro said. This act
patently showed friendly solidarity of the People's Unity Government of
Chile with President Salvador Allende at the head, of the whole people of
that country with revolutionary Cuba.
Fidel Castro expressed gratitude to the Chilean people for their invariable
sentiments of solidarity and fraternity with regard to the Cuban people. He
said that Chile also can always count on Cuba's support and solidarity.
Fidel Castro has again emphasized the important role of the assistance to
Cuba from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. This assistance
became manifest during the counter-revolutionary intervention Playa Giron.
At that time we got from the Soviet people also weapons necessary to defend
our motherland, Fidel Castro pointed out. Speaking about the plight of the
system of public health in Cuba before the revolution, Castro said that the
situation now completely changed. The country now has over 8,000
highly-qualified medical workers and their number is steadily on the rise.
The prime minister pointed out that Cuban doctors are ever ready to give
all kind of assistance to Latin American countries. Chile may also count on
such assistance, he emphasized.
Fidel Castro said that the Cuban Government delegation had come to Chile to
exchange opinions and to share experience.
The People's Unity Government, Fidel Castro pointed out, plays an important
role in the struggle for the future of Chile. What has already been
achieved in this struggle is never to be lost.
The prime minister of Cuba pointed to the need for the Chilean working
people to persistently work in the name of a better future. A great future
is opening before you and you are facing important tasks, he said. The
taking of power by the people into their hands does not accomplish the
process of providing all the working people with material wealth, this only
opens up a possibility to start improving the well-being of broad popular
masses. Thanks to the selfless labour of the whole people, Castro stressed,
Chile will be able to become one of the most developed states on the
continent.
In conclusion Castro expressed firm confidence that the Chilean Cuban
peoples would victoriously follow the road they had chosen.
-END-